Japan's Delicate Search For A Way To Breed Tuna On An Industrial Scale

NAGASAKI, Japan — Keiichi Mushiake slowly pushes back the red velvet curtains of a brand new viewing hallway in a fisheries research lab near Nagasaki, to reveal, behind a plate glass window, a dimly lit round pool. Sleek, dark, shadowy objects are darting in circles around the emerald green waters.

“Those are Pacific bluefin tuna,” Mr. Mushiake said.

There are 48 fish in the pool, averaging 110 centimeters, or 3.6 feet, in length and 18 kilograms, or 40 pounds, in weight. A similar pool nearby holds an additional 41.

Security is tight at the tuna aquaculture research center, opened in 2011 at the Seikai National Fisheries Research Institute here. Access to the tank area is strictly limited. Signs inside and outside the viewing hall forbid photography.

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